Why Entrepreneurs Should Start Selling Immediately

The path of least resistance is often used a metaphor for someone's personal effort or confrontation. It can also be described as "taking the easy way". Unfortunately, when it comes to business, some things cannot be avoided. I have served as a sales and communication coach for an organization that helps people develop their business ideas. While I agree you should have a clear plan and passion for your business, I noticed one reoccurring theme, very few people graduated to my sales class. In the May edition of the Harvard Business Review, an article entitled What Entrepreneurs Get Wrong states that: "Salesmanship is central to the success of any young company, and entrepreneurs ignore this at their peril. Yet many do ignore it, in large part because they have little sales experience and have probably not taken classes in how to sell, even if they have formal business education." Three reasons entrepreneurs avoid the sales process: They believe the product will sell itself: Rarely is this the case. Developing a sales process that matches the need of your prospect with a viable solution is the best way to sell your product or service. Selling must be done intentionally. They are waiting until everything is perfect to begin: For some people, they do not understand how they could possibly make a sales call until everything is perfect. More than half of entrepreneurs surveyed who completely developed their products before getting feedback from potential buyers considered this a mistake. Learn and sell as you go. Fear of stepping out of their comfort zone and learning the skills required: For new entrepreneurs, this may be the greatest hurdle. Fear of rejection and avoiding the stigma of being a salesperson lead the list of reasons people offer as their greatest concerns. Fear comes from the unknown and is a psychological response to a perceived threat. In most cases, these concerns can be remedied with knowledge and a plan. Developing your own sales process and learning the art of selling will ease your mind and give you confidence. Confidence will breed a healthy dose of enthusiasm that will transfer to your prospects. Start selling today! Have a great week! Pierce